Silas j



IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR TREATING GUN-SHOT WOUNDS AND EXTRAGTING- BUL-LETS.

-The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making part of thesama.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAS J. HOWELL, of Orange,

in the county of Franklin, and State of Massachusetts,

have invented va new and useful Improvement in Surgical Instruments; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the' same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to an instrument for extracting bullets, in thetreatment of gun-shot wounds, and for other purposes; and consists inoperating expansible lever-jaws by a rod sliding through 'a tube, andforced against a spring, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal'section ofthe in strument.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the jaws and side piecesdetached. .i Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a tube, which is attached to a drum or cylinder, B, at thehandle-end of the instrument, and terminates in a tapering piece, C, atvthe other end, to which tapering piece C the side pieces D are hinged. Frepresents the jaws.

E is a rod, which works through the tube A. v-The handle F is attachedto one end of this rod, and G is a screw fast to the rod, ou which thereis a Wheel-nut, H, which screws up against the cylinderB when it isdesigned to limit the expansion of the jaws. I is a piston or disk onthe rod, which serves to compress the spiral spring J in the cylinderB,when the rod is pressed down for expanding the jaws.

K represents 'finger-pieces for withdrawing` the invstrument.

v On the' end of the rod E there is a heart-shaped jointpiece, L, towhich the jaws are hinged, as seen in the drawing.

The jawsare also jointed to the side pieces D, at n n, and act aslevers, with their fiilcra at the pivots 'n n.

Jaws of different shapes may be used, as occasion may require, as forcrushing stone in the bladder, removing pieces of bone, and fr otherpurposes.

forming the joint at the other end of the instrument,

the instrument may be taken to pieces;

The side pieces D are curved so as to close over the joint-pieces L,when the jaws are` closed, and also re# messed out, as indicated inig.2, for receiving the long. ends ofthe lever-jaws, so that whenclosed, the instrument presents a smooth and even surface, and mayreadily be inserted into a wound, without at all lacerating the flesh.When thus inserted into a wound, and the jaws are expanded, (when theinstrument touches the lball,) by pressing in the rod as before stated,the tension oi' the spring will cause the hall to be firmly griped bythe jaws, when the instrument, with the ball, is readily Withdrawn bydrawing upon the fingerpieces K.

Having thus described my invention, A

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The `side pieces D, joint-piece L, lever-jaws F,- tube A, with thecylinder B and the rod E, arranged and combined substantially as shownand described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The spring J, pis'ton I, and cap P, in combination with the rod E,substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In combination with the rod E,'the screw G and nut H, substantiallyas and for the purposesdescribed.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 19th day ofNovember, 1868.

SILAS J. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

JNO. C. FELT, GEO. A. MAYNARD.

